Can carrier



P. A. GRAF CAN CARRIER June 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 28, 1956 INVENTOR.

PM a. Graf- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III .I) r/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIII III (I ll I I .III/l/I I IIIII/ IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIII I/IIIIIII/ I I'll IIIIIFIII/IIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII:

I I I I I i I I 5 I I I I I i I I I I l I I I I I INVENTOR- Paul 0,. Gmj

/IIIII/ IIIIII IIIIII II 1:52: IIIIIII IIII IIIIIIIIII I I ll llnllll -FIII/l/III/(IIl/II III/ .IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII II 1 lllllll IIIIII IIII IIIIIIIIIIIII II I I IIIIIIIIIIIrIt/I I IIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIII IIII/ IIIIIIIIIIIIIII .II III/III, II/ I III/(I I If IIIl IIII IIIIII/IIIII/I IIIIIIIIII I:IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIII: FIIII/IIZIIIII1 P. A. GRAF CAN CARRIER June 10, 1958 Filed Dec. 28, 1956 BY m m ilriited CAN CARRIER Application December 28, 1956, Serial No. 631,175

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-52) This invention relates to can carriers, and has to do with can carriers of the open ended band type.

Can carriers of the type referred to are well known and extensively used, many millions of such carriers being used annually. The can carrier field is highly competitive and one in which the cost of production is of primary importance. In many can carriers of the type referred to the top wall is provided with a tear out portion for ready release of the cans normally retained in the carrier by retaining tabs folded inwardly to engage the inner portions of the chimes of the end cans in the carrier, it being understood that carriers of the type referred to are used for transporting chimed end cans containing beverages and other liquids. It is desirable that the top wall of the carrier be effectively reinforced throughout its length for supporting the load of the cans and, also, for resisting pressure incident to tearing of the top wall to release the cans, the carrier commonly being formed of paperboard or other sheet material having considerable tensile strength. In order that the carrier may be produced at sutficiently low cost to meet com petitive conditions, it is important that the blanks from which the carriers are formed be such as to reduce waste of material to a minimum while being capable of being folded and glued by machinery and at high speed. In that connection, it is desirable that the carrier, when folded for gluing, be of as near uniform thickness as is practicable, in order to facilitate the gluing operation. My invention is directed to a carrier of the character stated which meets the above requirements and may be produced by high speed machinery at comparatively low cost. Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the detail description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a can carrier embodying my invention, one side of the carrier being loaded with cans retained therein and the other side being p y;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to Figure 1, showing the upper portion only of the carrier with one side of the top wall thereof torn open to release the end cans; I

Figure 3 is a plan view, on a reduced scale relative to Figure l, of the blank from which the carrier of Figure 1 is produced;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the carrier of Figure 1 in its flat folded condition and partly broken away to show inner portions thereof, this view being on the same scale as Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing a modified form of carrier embodying my invention; and

Figure 8 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line 33 of Figure 7.

2,838,223 Patented June 1.0, 1958 ice The carrier of Figure 1 is formed from an elongated rectangular or oblong blank shown in Figure 3, cut from suitable sheet material, such as paperboard. The blank of Figure 3 is suitably cut and scored to provide a glue flap 10 hingedly secured along a fold line 11 to a first bottom wall panel 12 hingedly secured along a fold line 13 to a first side wall panel 14 to the upper edge of which is hingedly attached, along a fold line 15, a first top wall panel 16 having attached to its inner edge, along a fold line 17, a first handle flap 18 integrally hinged at its upper edge along a fold line 19 to a second handle flap 20. The second handle flap 20 is integrally attached at its lower edge, along a fold line 21, to the inner edge of a second top wall panel 22 integrally attached along a fold line 23, at its outer edge, to the upper edge of a second side wall panel 24 integrally attached at its lower edge, along a fold line 25, to the outer edge of a second bottom Wall panel 26' integrally attached at its inner edge, along a fold line 27, to the lower edge of a center partition panel 28 having, a short distance below its upper edge, a lengthwise fold line 29 providing, above such fold line, a third handle flap 30. In the above description of the blank of Figure 3 the various elements thereof have been. described with reference to the positions which they occupy in the carrier when the latter is in its set-up condition for use, with a view to avoiding confusion, as will be understood.

Each of the bottom Wall panels 12 and 26 and each of the top wall panels 16 and 22-is provided, adjacent each end thereof, with a generally arcuate retaining tab 31 integrally hinged at its inner edge to the corresponding panel along a fold line 32 extending transversely of the panel parallel with the end edge thereof. Each of the bottom wall panels 12 and 26 may also be provided with a central drainage opening 33, which is preferred, but is not essential and may be omitted if desired. Each of the top wall panels 16 and 22 is provided, at its midlength and somewhat nearer its inner edge than its outer edge, with an elongated generally rectangular opening 34, handle flap 18 is cut to provide, at the midlength thereof, a generally rectangular opening 35 tapering at its end portions and a securing flap 36 comprising the material cut from opening 35 and integrally attached along a portion of fold line 17 to the inner edge of the corresponding top wall panel 16 from which opening 35 extends, and the handle panel 20 is provided, at its midlength, with an opening 37 similar to but preferably somewhat larger than opening 35, the top edges of openings 35 and 37 being disposed substantially equidistant from the fold line 19 joining the upper edges of the handle panels 18 and 20. The upper portion of the center partition panel 28 is provided with an opening comprising an upper portion 38 disposed at the midlength of the third handle flap 3'0, and the lower portion 39 at the midlength of the center partition panel 28 and extending downward from the fold line 29. The openings 35, 37, 38 and 39 are so disposed and of such size and shape that, in the completed carrier, the openings 35, 37 and 38 will be aligned in approximate register with each other, with the opening 39 extending 'do'wn- :vard from the opening 38, as will appear more fully ater.

If desired, though not necessarily, each of the top wall panels 16 and 22 may be provided with tear lines 40 of step formation extending from adjacent the outer corners of opening 34 to the outer ends of the retaining flaps" 31, the tear lines 40 providing between them a tear out portion 41 which, by inserting the'fingers through the opening 39, may be torn from the panel to release the retaining tabs 31, as is known. In Figure 3 the blank is shown with its inner faceuppermost. In order to form the blank into the carrier, the bottom wall panel 12 is folded over onto the side wall panel 14 and a coating of adhesive is applied to the then upper face of glue flap it) and to the inner faces of the handle flaps 18 and 2%, including the securing flap 36' which remains in the plane of handle flap 18. The second bottom wall panel 26 and the center partition panel 28 are then folded about the fold line 25 over onto the side wall panel 24 and the top wall panel 22, with the third handle flap 30 seating on the adhesive coated face of the second handle flap 20 with 2 fold lines 29 and 21 in register and opening 38 aligned and in substantial register with opening 37. The partially folded blank is then folded over about the fold line 19 into position with the third handle flap 30 overlying the first handle flap 18, the openings 38 and 37 overlying the securing flap 36, the center partition panel 28 overlying the-first top wall panel 16 and the upper portion of the first side wall panel 14, and the second bottom wall panel 26 overlying the first bottom wall panel 12, fold line 27 being then in register with fold line 11 and the adhesive coated face of glue fiap seating against the outer face of the lower portion of the center partition panel 28. The securing flap 36 is then folded about the corresponding portion of fold line 17 and is passed through the openings 37 and 38 and folded downward to position with its adhesive coated surface seating on the inner portion of top wall panel 22 at the area thereof between openings 34 and 37. That completes folding of the blank into carrier form and the folded blank is then maintained under appropriate pressure for a short time until the adhesive has set thus permanently securing the blank together in carton form. The carrier thus produced appears as in Figure 4 and may readily be stacked and shipped in bundles or bales in its folded condition. As will be understood from what has been said, and as is shown more clearly in Figures 4, 5 and 6, when the carrier is folded flatwise with the top wall panels 16 and 22 seating on the center partition panel 28, the opening 39 at the upper portion of panel 28 extends downward from the three ply handle structure, provided by the handle flaps 18, and now secured together in face to face relation. The opening 39 then underlies the area of the top wall panel 22 corresponding to the securing flap 36 so that but three thicknesses of material are provided at such area. That is desirable in that the blank is of substantially uniform thickness when folded into carton form, which is conducive to application of uniform pressure to the folded blank during the period required for setting of the adhesive, which expedites the gluing operation.

To set the folded carrier up for use, it is subjected to vertical pressure which moves the bottom and top wall panels outwardly to horizontal positions, the side wall panels and the center partition panel assuming vertical positions and the handle structure extending upwardly from the top of the carrier. The three ply handle structure is integrally attached to the top wall panels and the center partition panel beyond the ends of the finger opening and the securing flap 36 effectively ties together the midportions of the top wall panels, the carrier as a whole possessing adequate mechanical strength and the handle structure being quite rigid and also possessing adequate mechanical strength. In Figure 1 one half of the carrier is shown as loaded with three chimed end cans disposed in a row at one side of the center partition panel 28 and the retaining tabs 31 folded inward of the carrier effective for restraining the end cans of the row against displacement. In order to release the end cans, the tear out portion 41 of top wall panel 16 may be torn loose from the remainder of that panel, along the weakened tear lines 40, by inserting the fingers through the opening 34 pro vided for that purpose, so as to release the retaining tabs 31, as shown in Figure 2.

The modified form of carrier shown in Figures 7 and 8 may be formed from the blank of Figure 3 and is the same as that of Figure 1 except that the securing flap 36 is secured to the inner or underface of the top wall panel 22. To produce the carrier of Figures 7 and 8 the blank is folded in the same manner as above described except that preliminary to the third folding step, in which the blank is folded about the fold line 19, the securing tab 36' is folded downwardly onto the inner face of top wall panel 16 and the then upper face of flap 36 is coated with adhesive. In the third folding step the blank is folded about fold line 19 into position with the portion of the top wall panel 22 between openings 34 and 37 seating on the adhesively coated surface of securing flap 36 and the latter disposed in the opening 39 of the center partition panel 28, the lower portion of panel 28 seating on the adhesively coated surface of the glue flap 10, as before. The folded blank is then maintained under appropriate pressure until the adhesive has set. in the com pleted blank, in its flat folded condition, the flap 36 is disposed in opening 39, as previously noted, so that during the gluing operation, while the folded blank is maintained under pressure, there are but three thicknesses of material at the areas of the handle structure and the contiguous area of the securing flap 36, with no projection beyond the outer face of either of the top wall panels. The areas of the folded carrier at the handle structure and the top wall panels thereof thus present smooth surfaces free of projections, which facilitates the gluing operation with the advantages previously referred to.

It will be understood that changes in detail may be resorted to without departing from the field and scope of my invention, and I intend to include all such variations, as fall within the appended claims, in this application in which the preferred forms only of my invention have been disclosed.

I claim:

1. A foldable can carrier formed from a one piece blank of sheet material and comprising a bottom wall having a lengthwise median fold line, side wall panels attached at their lower edges along fold lines to the side edges of said bottom wall and extending upward therefrom, two top wall panels attached at their outer side edges along fold lines to the upper edges of said side wall panels and extending inward therefrom, two handle flaps integrally connected together at their upper edges along a fold line and integrally attached at their lower edges along fold lines to the inner edges of said top wall panels and extending upward therefrom, a center partition panel attached at its lower edge to said bottom wall along a fold line contiguous to the median fold line thereof and extending therefrom upward between said handle flaps, the latter being secured to the upper portion of said center partition panel providing therewith a three ply handle structure, said handle structure being provided at the midportion thereof with aligned elongated finger openings, and a securing flap formed of material cut from one of said handle flaps to provide said finger opening therein and attached to the corresponding top wall panel, said securing flap extending through said finger openings and being secured to the other top wall panel, said center partition panel having at its upper portion an opening extending downward from the midportion of said handle structure and disposed to underlie the area of said other top wall panel corresponding to said securing flap, when said carrier is folded flatwise with said top wall panels seating on said center partition panel, said center partition panel opening being of a width and length at least as great as the width and length of said securing flap, the area of said carrier corresponding to said securing flap being of three thicknesses of material when said carrier is so folded.

2. A foldable can carrier formed from a one piece blank of sheet material and comprising a bottom wall having a lengthwise median fold line, side wall panels attached at their lower edges along fold lines to the side edges of said bottom wall and extending upward therefrom, two top wall panels attached at their outer side edges along fold lines to the upper edges of said side wall panels and extending inward therefrom, two handle flaps integrally connected together at their upper edges along a fold line and integrally attached at their lower edges along fold lines to the inner edges of said top wall panels and extending upward therefrom, a center partition panel attached at its lower edge to said bottom wall along a fold line contiguous to the median fold line thereof and extending therefrom upward between said handle fiaps, the latter being secured to the upper portion of said center partition panel providing therewith a three ply handle structure, said handle structure being provided at the midportion thereof with aligned elongated finger openings, and a securing flap formed of material cut from one of said handle flaps 'to provide said finger opening therein and attached to the corresponding top wall panel, said securing flap extending through said finger openings and being secured to the inner face of the other top wall panel, said center partition having therein an opening adapted and disposed to receive said securing flap when said carrier is folded flatwise with said top wall panels seating on said center partition panel, the area of said carrier corresponding to said securing flap 'being of three thicknesses of material when said carrier is so folded.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,391,639 Meller Dec. 25, 1945 2,523,985 Foster Sept. 26, 1950 2,603,923 Chidsey July 22, 1952 2,637,476 Empkie May S, 1953 

